Rory McIlroy faces brutal reality check in India after making historic decision
Rory McIlroy learned a harsh lesson at Delhi Golf Club during the first round of the DP World India Championship, experiencing firsthand just how unforgiving this notorious course can be.
Making his Indian debut, McIlroy – who recently opened up on possibly captaining the Ryder Cup team in the future – tackled a treacherous layout famous for its dangerously tight fairways bordered by thick vegetation. A LIV Golf player recently called Delhi Golf Club one of the most “claustrophobic” courses in the world.
Ranked No. 2 globally, McIlroy prepared for the test by making an unprecedented equipment decision. The Masters champion chose to leave his driver in the locker room, despite being one of golf’s all-time greats with that club.
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He understood the critical importance of accuracy in Delhi, and largely delivered on that strategy. McIlroy posted a three-under-par 69, finishing the opening round four strokes behind early leader Keita Nakajima.
However, the Northern Irishman’s score could have been significantly better had it not been for a wayward tee shot on the par-five eighth, his second-to-last hole.
The 36-year-old opted for a long iron off the tee but pulled it left, leaving himself in an almost impossible situation.
Hemmed in by trees and undergrowth, he had minimal space as he attempted to chip back onto the fairway.
He struggled to generate the necessary power, landing in the thick rough, and ultimately scored a bogey on a hole that had offered many birdie opportunities.
McIlroy’s struggle on the eighth encapsulated the challenge of Delhi Golf Club; it’s scoreable, but accuracy off the tee is crucial.
“It’s pretty tricky,” McIlroy commented post-round. “You’re just really trying to be as conservative as possible off the tee and then trying to pick off birdies on the par-5s and maybe pick up a couple more. Yeah, it’s a tricky golf course.
“I thought some of the hole locations early on were really tricky. You play a practice round or a pro-am, the pins are all in the middle of the green, and then you get to tournament day and they start to tuck them away a little bit, and of course definitely played a little tougher than I expected it to today.”
When asked about his strategy for the remaining 54 holes, McIlroy responded: “I think it’s similar strategy to what I did today, especially off the tee.
“You just have to get the ball in the fairway. The rough is unpredictable. You get a lot of fliers like I did the last two there. Yeah, maybe being a little bit less aggressive with approach shots and getting it on the right side of the pin.
“The greens are so grainy that uphill putts are very slow, but then if you get it above the hole, the downhill putts with the downgrain get very, very quick, so leaving yourself below the hole is pretty important, as well.”
